Life Quote by Raymond Queneau
““Why," he was saying, "why should one not tolerate this life, since so little suffices to deprive one of it? So little brings it into being, so little brightens it, so little blights it, so little bears it away. Otherwise, who would tolerate the blows of fate and the humiliations of a successful career, the swindling of grocers, the prices of butchers, the water of milkmen, the irritation of parents, the fury of teachers, the bawling of sergeant-majors, the turpitude of the beasts, the lamentations of the dead-beats, the silence of infinite space, the smell of cauliflower or the passivity of the wooden horses on a merry-g0-round, were it not for his knowledge that the bad and proliferative behaviour of certain minute cells (gesture) or the trajectory of a bullet traced by an involuntary, irresponsible, anonymous individual might unexpectedly come and cause all these cares to evaporate into the blue heavens.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Zazie dans le Métro, 1959
Life’s trivialities and hardships coexist; we endure them because even the smallest things give meaning, and sometimes random events erase our worries.
In simple terms: Small things give life meaning; random events can relieve suffering.
Key Takeaway
Find meaning in everyday moments.
Themes
existence
absurdity
randomness
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- daily life
- personal crises
- unexpected events
- creative writing
Key Concepts
philosophy
literary
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What “small” things bring you comfort?
- Can randomness truly alleviate suffering?
A Different Perspective
The passage’s dense, whimsical style may obscure its core message for some readers.
